Centering-awl



- L. VAN ALSTYNE.

GENTERING AWL.

(No Model.)

No. 409,130. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAIVRENCE VAN ALSTYNE, OF SHARON, CONNECTICUT.

CENTERING==AWL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,130, dated August 13, 1889.

Application filed March 28, 1889, Serial No. 305,148. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE V AN AL- STYNE, of Sharon, in the State of Connecticut, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Centering-Awls; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

As is well known, it is a very difficult matter to properly center a screw when securing a hinge or fastening of any kind by means of a screw, and as such fastenings require to besecured accurately and in a certain relation to other parts this difficulty is veryobjectionable, as it makes irregularfitting and requires considerable care in the securing of said parts in position.

It is the object of my invention to obviate this difficulty by providing a centering-awl adapted to the countersinks in the hinges or other fastening which will hold the awl in proper position while the puncture is being made by pressure on the awl proper to indicate the exact point where the screw is to be placed in order to be exactly in the center.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tool, and Fig. 2a sectional View of the same.

In the drawings, a represents the shank of the aWl, which is embedded in a suitable handle Z) and held by a ferrule c. The awl is pointed on its end, but maybe gimlet-pointed instead of plain, if preferred. A cap (Zcovers the end of the awl normally, being kept constantly pressed outward by 'a spring 6, interposed between the inner end of. the cap and the ferrule c. The cap may be held in place on the shank of the awl in any suitable manner; but in the construction shown I flatten or cut away a portion of the shank of the awlf and cut out a section of the material of the cap, as at 9, through to its cylindrical bore, leaving a bridge-piece h, connecting the circumference of the cap-piece at its inner end. The bore of the cap-piece is of such diameter as to enable it to he slipped onto the shank easily, and when it passes the cylindrical portion of the shank and reaches the cut-away portion a single tap upon the bridge portion h depresses it and lessens the diameter of the cap-piece at this end, so that at the point where the cutaway portion of the shank ceases a shoulder is formed, which effectually prevents the cap-piece from slipping off the shank. The end of the cap-piece is made to conform to the countersink in the hinges or other fastenings, and as these countersinks are ordinarily made flaring I have shown the end of the cap-piece made to correspond therewith; but it will be understood that the formation of this end may be varied toconform to ,the shape of any other form of countersink. The spring keeps the cap-piece over the point, and when it is desired to mark the center of the countersink it is only necessary to first center the end of the cap-piece in the countersink of the part to be secured in place and then press upon the handle, which thus causes the point to pass through the opening in the cap-piece and penetrate the wood directlyin the center of the countersink, after which the screw may be inserted and applied in the ordinary manner.

I claim as my invention- The described tool, consisting of a handle,

a pointed shank embedded therein, said shank having a portion of its periphery cut away or flattened to form a shoulder, a covering-cap on the outer end of said shank, and a spring interposed between the face of said cap and the handle of the tool, said cap having a slot cut through its periphery to form a bridge-piece 7L, which acts in connection with the shoulder on the shank to limit the outward movement of the cap, substantially, as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LANVRENCE VAN ALSTYN E.

Vitnesses:

WILLARD BAKER, BEssIE VAN ALSTYNE. 

